I'm not Irish so it didn't really ring any bells. Even Lynch seemed a little lackluster. ( )

I felt the excitement of getting to meet the President of the country while reading this story. You could feel how important this visit from JFK was to the entire town, but more so to the children of the town. I could relate to this; meeting JFK would have me feeling giddy, nervous, starstruck, etc. I think I would feel this way with the chance to meet any President of our Country. JFK is one of those people if we could go back in time to meet and hold a conversation with he would be one of my choices. I could see having this book available to students to read to get them excited about meeting the President or anyone important. ( )

This book is about a little boy who meets president John F. Kennedy during his trip to Ireland in 1963 a few weeks before he is assassinated. The book is told through the eyes of the little boy who is clearly very excited to meet the president. The pictures are also very realistic and easy to keep students paying attention. ( )

Recommended by: Abigail A.

It’s interesting to me that JFK books are still popular, and I was happy to find this children’s picture book about JFK’s 1963 trip to Ireland. These events happened just a few months before he was assassinated.

It’s a fictional story but heavily based on fact, and there is a short but informative non-fiction history section at the end of the book.

I was very touched by the story, as told through the eyes of a young boy. I felt his excitement and the excitement of the Irish people and of JFK prior to and during the visit.

The illustrations are wonderful. Big, bold, realistic, with just the subtlest muting of colors, done very effectively.

4 ½ stars

Note: I did find it interesting to read that in one of Kennedy's speeches there he said that Ireland wasn't the land of his birth but the place closest to his heart. (paraphrasing) I don't think a President could get away with that in today's world. ( )

Irish journalist and media personality Ryan Tubridy presents this fictionalized look at JFK's visit to Ireland in 1963, as seen through the eyes of a young schoolboy named Patrick. Excited at the news that President Kennedy will be visiting his hometown in County Wexford, Patrick is part of the preparations for the big event, and is included in the choir of pupils who will sing for the visiting dignitary. Even more exciting is the fact that he has been asked to assist at the tea being given by the local Kennedy cousins for their distant kinsman. But will Patrick have a chance to meet the big man himself...?

After researching the impact of President Kennedy's visit to Ireland for his adult book, JFK In Ireland: Four Days that Changed a President, author Tubridy returns to the topic in this, his debut children's title. The story is heartfelt and poignant, highlighting an important moment in the relationship between Ireland and the USA. The watercolor artwork, done by Irish Laureate na n'Og - Young People's Laureate - P.J. Lynch, is just lovely, capturing the beauty and elegance of the period, and the emotional resonance of each scene in the story. Highly recommended to anyone looking for picture-books featuring Ireland, the Irish-American relationship, and/or President Kennedy. ( )